was it declaring plainly that John had but one baptisme in truth whereof that with water of the River was no part Neither was Johns baptisme of the Law or caused by it as some conceive and teach who therefore call it the Spirit of Bondage Nay but it is of the Gospel yea the beginning and first principle thereof and of the foundation as the Scriptures declare Mark 1.1 2 3 4. Heb. 6.1 And where Christ saith Thus it is written and thus it behoved Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day and that repentance and remission of sinnes should be preached in his name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem Luke 24.46 And that it was alwayes to be preached and effected in the hearts of the people before remission of sinnes and so before the faith which purifieth the heart and baptisme of the holy Ghost it is very manifest by sundry other Scriptures as Acts 10.36 Acts 13.23 Acts 20.21 And when Paul meeting at Ephesus with certain Disciples asked them if they had received the holy Ghost since they beleeved and they answered they had not heard that there was a holy Ghost And he asked Whereunto then they were baptized and they answered unto Johns baptisme And that Paul hereupon said John verily baptized with the baptisme of repentance saying to the people that they should beleeve in him that should come after him that is in Christ Jesus And when they heard this the Text saith they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Acts 19.1 2 3 4 5. Where first by Johns baptisme of repenpentance is to be understood that effected by his preaching and by their being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus the purifying of their hearts by faith in Christ through the operation of the holy Ghost upon the hearing of Paul explaining the words of John which are He shall baptize you with the holy Ghost and with fire Matth. 3.11 it being as much as to say they should beleeve in him And then Paul approving them laid his hands on them and they received a further gift to speak with tongues and prophesied according as Christ had promâ—ied saying He that beleeveth in me as the Scripture hath said out of his belly shall flow Rivers of the water of life John 7.38 39. And in this manner did Peter begin at first to preach saying repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gist of the holy Ghost Acts 2. As much as to say repent and beleeve in the Lord Jesus Christ c. For remission cannot be attained by washing the body with the element of water but by faith onely So after Christ had appeared to Paul in his way to Damascus and hee having fasted three days and mourned no doubt for his sinnes when Ananias being come to him said Arise and be baptized and wash away thy sinnes calling on the name of the Lord Act 22.16 This must needs be understood by faith in Christ as in the former places for sinnes cannot be washt away by any water of fountains or Rivers howsoever used but by the blood of Jesus Christ onely through beleeving in him for he it is that washeth away our sins in his blood as the Apostle John winesseth saying Unto him that hath loved us and washed us from our sinnes in his blood and hath made us Kings and Priests unto God and his Father to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever Amen And of all this both concerning the baptisme of Iohn and the baptisme of Christ had the Prophet Esay prophesied before as where he saith The voyce of him that cryeth in the Wildernesse prepare ye the way of the Lord c. Esay 40.3 And where hee saith Cast yee up cast yee up prepare the way take up the stumbling-block out of the way of my people For thus faith the high and lofty one that inhabiteth eternity whose Name is Holy I dwell in the High and Holy place with him also that is of an humble and contrite Spirit to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the heart of the contrite ones Esay 57.14 15. So again where he prophesied of Christ saying The Spirit of the LORD GOD is upon me because he hath anoynted me to preach good tidings to the poore to binde up the broken hearted c. Esay 61.1 2 3. These excellent promises and speciall ministrations of good tidings to binde up to dwell with to revive to comfort c. are not made nor appointed so to be preached and performed unto all the world to every sinner in the same as some would have it Neither is Christ said throughout all the Scriptures to be anointed of God the Father to such a universall purpose and end but onely as it is here declared to the humble and meeke the poore the contrite hearted the mournfull repentant sinners so prepared by a speciciall power from above as before is exprest And so according to this did Christ the anointed of God preach to such people when he opened the book and read the same place unto them and said This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your eares Whereupon all bare him witnesse and wondred at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth Luk. 4.18 19 20 21 22. And as himselfe testified by the answer hee returned unto John by the two Disciples saying Goe and shew John those things which you doe heare and see that the blind recieve their sight the lame walk the lepers are cleansed the deafe heare the dead are raised up and the poore have the Gospel preached unto them or receive the Gospel for the words do intend and imply both Matth 11.2 3 4 5. Luke 7 19 20 21 22. For though it be true that in a generall consideration the Gospel was and is to bee preached to all the world to every man as Christ declareth in that parable Matth. 13 3 4 5. and by the words the spake at last to his Disciples Mark 16.15 Luke 24.46 47 48. and other places And that all men might alwayes and may now so heare it and bee enlightned to beleeve and know the things to bee excellent and true And further than this may partake of some gifts of the holy Ghost have a taste of the good Word of God and powers of the world to come have a foule Spirit cast out of him bee in kinde sanctified by the blood of Christ and yet notwithstanding all this fall away turn like the Dog to his vomit and like the Sow that is washed to wallow in the mire again the foule Spirit returning with seven worse than it selfe possesseth him and his end is worse than his beginning Although these things be true as plainly appeareth by sundry Scriptures they are as Hebr. 6.4 5 6 7 8. Hebr. 10.26 27 28. 2 Pet. 2.22 Matth. 12.43 44 45. Luke 11.24 and other places yet in
that speciall manner before declared it never was preached to any but the contrite hearted repentant sinners they have a speciall particular word of promise made unto them in particular whereon to ground their Faith which no sinner else hath and they fall not away they are built upon the sure Rock And their faith therefore is of another kinde differing from that which is common to all grounded on the generall publication or History of the Word called therefore by some and that rightly Historicall Faith or the Faith of knowledge and is distinguished from it and from that also called Miraculous by severall distinct names given it in Scripture as The Faith of Abraham The Faith which worketh by love The Faith of Christ The Faith of Jesus Christ The Faith of the Son of God The Faith of Gods elect their pretious Faith their most holy Faith and such like Which Faith being defined what it is in the true nature of it It is a full perswasion or assurance wrought in the heart of a Repentant sinner by the speciall grace and Spirit of God of forgivenesse of sinnes of peace of love of reconciliation with God in Jesus Christ according to that which Paul speaketh Rom. 8.35 36 37 38 39. and Heb. 10.22 23. And as this Faith of Gods elect is distinguished in Scripture from Faith of other kindes So is that gift of the Spirit whereby it is wrought and the love of God sealed in their contrite heart distinguished from other common gifts of the Spirit by severall excellent distinct names as the Spirit of Christ The Spirit of Life which is in Christ Jesus The Spirit of his Sonne crying Abba Father The Spirit of Adoption The Spirit of Truth c. And this is that seed which remaineth in the heart of every one that receiveth it that holy Spirit whereby they are sealed unto the day of redemption And they are those branches in the vine and that good ground which bring forth good fruit thirty sixty an hundred fold And of such as these doth the Church of Christ consist against which the gates of hell shall not prevaile These are those lively stoues built on the chiefe comer stone Jesus Christ that spirituall house and holy Priesthood which offer up spirituall Sacrifices acceptable unto God by him and which God hath decreed and concluded in Scripture to be his Tabernacle and Sanctuary wherein he will dwell for evermore Now though a man should know all these things to bee true and all that the Scriptures have spoken yet if he have not his part in them if he be not baptized with the Baptisme of Repentance and the Baptisme of the holy Ghost before spoken of and so born 〈◊〉 above of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of GOD For so hath the eternall Word Jesus Christ the Sonne of God unrevocably concluded saying to Nicodemus and so to every man Verily verily I say unto thee except a man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdome of God John 3.11 And therefore it was that hee gave that great power and charge unto the Apostles when he was to depart from them saying Goe yee and teach all Nations baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the holy Ghost c. Matth. 28.18 19 20. and Mark 16. Go yee into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature vers 15. according to that in Luke 24.46 47 48 49. and saying Hee that beleeveth and is baptized shall be saved but hee that beleeveth â—ot shall be condemned Mark 16.16 What this baptisme is and what the beliefe is that goeth before it and what the not beleeving is in the last place are the things chiefly to be considered here The Baptisme can bee no other than the same before spoken of consisting of Repentance toward God and Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ with the speciall gift of the Spirit being the parts of the new birth from above described by the names of Water and of the Spirit such a Baptisme as whosoever is baptized therewith shall bee saved Not the doing away the filth of the flesh the washing with the element of Water as they of Rome would have it and doe so take it in both places using the form of words in Matth. 28. concluding that by the same action they are regenerate and that except the act be performed they cannot be saved But it is and must needs be that which the Apostles to whom the charge was first given performed As first when Peter preached saying Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and ye shall receive the gift of the holy Ghost Acts 2. and Paul Acts 19.4 5 6. In both which places the baptisme of Repentance toward God and of Faith in the Lord JESUS CHRIST and of the holy Ghost are expresly named according to the order and meaning of the words Matth. 28. And to the same purpose also Paul spâ—â—â—… Acts 20. where he saith That hee kept nothing back that was profitable but testified both to the Jewes and also to the Greekes Repentance toward GOD and Faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ verse 21. which to the Hâ—brewes he calleth the Doctrine of baptisme Heb. 6. This is the Baptisme of which he faith to the Christians at Rome Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into JESUS CHRIST were baptized into his death Therefore we are buried with him by Baptisme into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father so we should walk in newnesse of life Rom. 6.34 And to them of Galatia For ye are all the children of God by faith for as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ Gal. 3.26 27. And to them of Colossâ—â— Ye are compleat in him who is the head of all Principalities and powers in whom also yee are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the sinnes of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ buried with him in Baptisme wherein also ye are risen with him through the Faith of the operation of God who hath raised him up from the dead Col. 2.10 11 12. These excellent effects and fruies of being dead to sinne and to the body thereof and to the world of walking in holinesse and newnesse of life so rising as Christ is risen and putting on Christ and being cloathed with him of being dead and buried and risen with him as it is declared in these severall places cannot be understood as caused by any outward baptizing with water of springs or rivers but onely by a power and operation of God from above For as circumcision in the flesh is not circumcision but that of the heart as Paul saith Rom. 2. So it is concerning baptisme and therefore he counteth circumcision made without
and hee lying bound to death by that his sinne and by the justice of the law of God which now he knew that stood up as a fiery two-edged sword turning every way against him convincing him more and more of sinne and of death hee being not able possibly to doe the works thereof that from the very first houre after the promise was made he and all in his loines were set out of that unrecoverable estate wherein they lay bound without any remedy and a way prescribed and set before them in and through the same promise whereby to live again so gracious and faire as could not be more That whosoever would but confesse his sinnes unto God and ask mercy like the similitude of the lost Sonne hee should have his sinnes forgiven and bee saved Such a generall Redemption as this was from that houre and so gracious and fair a way was set before all mankinde in generall no one excepted And what sonne in the world could or can desire more of his father against whom he had so rebelliously sinned yet no man by his own wil or power in nature would or could doe this and live again It is true that Adam and Abell and all the children of the promise did attain thereunto but not by their own wills or power And though oftentimes since the promise was made God renewed the same his covenant of mercy and called upon man saying Whosoever is athirst let him come and whosoever will let him come and take of the water of life freely Yet where is the man that of himselfe so thirsteth that of himselfe so willeth and cometh and taketh of the water of Life or was there ever such a man No doubtlesse not one But on the clean contrary such is the hardnesse and stoutnesse of mans heart since hee is become so wise by eating the forbidden fruit that rather then hee will stoop so low as to mourn and weep for his sinnes and confesse them unto God with teares from a truly sorrowfull broken heart and defire mercy and forgivenesse he will doe any thing else take up and submit to any forme of religion though never so strict and painfull entertain any opinion or doctrine that shall come to his eares in pretence of truth though never so erronious perform any outward work of the Law or of the Gospel so farre as Cain and Iudas went or as a Pharisee and hypocrite can goe some way to quiet his guilty conscience and to shun that straight way of the Lord it is so disagreeing to his lofty and prudent minde stubborn and hard heart so naturally given to pride and carnall pleasure as we may see by the experience of the many Sects of religious and sorts of opinions that are amongst us at this day as well as by the superstitions and idolatries that have been and are in the world that so his minde being quieted hee may pleasantly passe his time without repentance and without that faith of Christ which purifieth the heart the birth of water and of the Spirit So that if God should not by his speciall power from heaven like the husbandman that breakes up his fallow ground and then soweth his seed so turn the heart of man from his sinfull pleasures and fulfilling his owne will and doing his own works take away his hard and stony heart and give him a heart of flesh a soft and tender heart and write in the same by his Spirit his covenant of mercy and love as he did unto Adam his first lost sonne and Abell whose sacrifice therefore hee accepted Adam and all his posterity would have perished for ever But God foreseeing all things and having before the foundation of the world chosen of the fore-seen fallen lump of mankind a certain compleat number to save and glorifie did destinate them to be conformed to the image of his Sonne Jesus Christ his first borne and whom he so predestinated them he in his due times called giving them repentance and whom he so called them hee justified through faith and whom he justified them he glorified as it is written Rom. 8.28 29. And as God did thus call and justifie his chosen to Pauls time so hath hee done ever since and will doe to the end of the world that his number may be filled And they that are so predestinated and born of God shall certainly bee saved and none else as Christ hath absolutely affirmed Ioh. 3. What then Shall wee therefore say that God did predestinate the other to doe wickedly and so to perish Nay that followeth not neither did he so any more then he did decree the fall and sinne of Adam and so mans destruction for then God must bee the authour and cause thereof as he is of grace and salvation which may not once be thought Neither have we any more reason to charge God with unmercifulnesse in not saving all men by the new birth from above in and through Christ then we have for his not keeping Adam from falling and saving all that way It is true and it must be acknowledged that God could have done so and that he could also have kept those Angels which fell if it had been the good pleasure of his will as it was not shall wee therefore charge God with unmercifulnesse because he did not keep them and so have saved all both men and Angels Or shall wee make his not keeping them the cause of their fall sinne and destruction Who dares do so or have such a thought Nay Satan himselfe knoweth it to be otherwise and that their fall and destruction is of themselves and mans also of themselves thorough his eavie against them his malice and lies Neither did God ever harden the heart of any man that he should not repent and beleeve the Gospel and be saved or bind their wills or power therefrom by any decree or worke of his at any time nay let all men feare to think such a thing and know that it is his own hardnesse of heart and evilnesse of will that hinders him But this is true that God doth give some men up to their own hardnesse of heart such as having known God and tasted of his bountifulnesse and goodnesse which led them to repentance and reject the same as they whom the Apostle Paul speaketh of Rom. 1.19 20. to verse 32. And so is God said to harden the heart of Pharaoh in giving him up to hisown hardnesse of heart he having seen and known so much of the power and goodnesse of God and rejecting the same and still oppressing his people to fill up the measure of his wickednesse that God might declare his power as Paul saith Rom. 9. And according to this are the words of Christ to those Scribes and Pharisees of the Jewes the generation of them that killed the Prophets Matth. 23. Fill ye up the measure of your Fathers ye Serpents ye generation of Vipers c. Now what is there in any thing of
all this that may give occasion for any man justly to say or think that God the Father or the Lord Jesus Christ should bind any mans legges and then command them to goe and to doe this or that as the Free-will teacher would inferre But I wish that he would tell us plainly the cause why some men doe repent and beleeve and are saved and not all If he shall say as some doe that it is because some men will and some will not Then I ask him the reason or cause of this great difference of will in man that one should have a will to will unto life eternall and another to will unto death eternall If he say it is by Gods worke of creation in the womb or in Adam then he makes God to bee the author of the evill as well as of the good which he would seem by his Doctrine to avoid If he say it is by the operation of the Heavens Sunne Moon or Starres which Mathematickes say cause severall dispositions in men some to evill and some to good Then hee makes those creatures the cause which were very heathenish Neither can they cause such a difference in mens wills as to life and death eternall nay then may those people be excused who adore them as Gods Therefore we say there is no such difference of will but all mens hearts are by Nature since the first fall of Adam and because thereof hard and their wills stubborn and bent to ill whose fruit is death And it is by the speciall operation of God from heaven that any mans heart and will is brought to repent and beleeve unto life eternall to be so born of water and of the Spirit without which no man can be saved no nor child how young soever And it is true God doth not effect or bring this to passe in every man neither did hee so determine any more then hee did to keep those Angls that fell or Adam from falling for then must all have been saved And where had been then the glory of the power of God in respect of his justice and the riches of his mercies whereof Paul speaketh Rom. 9.22 23. and which sundry other Scriptures doe so often make mention of and declare to the glory of God and comfort of his chosen And it is also true that as God did not decree or will to save all men so neither did he decree or will the destruction of all nor of any man but upon those just grounds and causes in themselves before declared which he foresaw And so men are said to be ordained of old to condemnation and Esau to he hated before hee had done good or evill yet did he not ordain sinne nor make death nor did he ever break the bruised Reed nor quench the smoking Flax nor will or desire the death of a sinner but rather that hee should return and live as it is written And so it is true and cleare that the salvation of man is meerly and freely of GOD through Jesus Christ and his destruction is of himselfe And this shill all men and Angels know assuredly in that day when God shall judge the secrets of all men by him even Jesus Christ and shall justifie God in all things both in respect of his justice on them that perish and in respect of his mercies on them that are saved And every thing in the estate of that world it being the end for which all things were created shal be so much to the praise and glory of God and to the joy and rejoycing of his chosen as nothing that can bee thought of or wished could be more And as comcerning the Free-willers doctrine of falling away from all graces and gifts of the Spirit regeneration and whatsoever which they would seem to ground on those Scriptures which speake of some excellent gifts that men may be made partakers of and fall away from them and perish as Mat. 12.43 44 45. Heb. 3.12 14. Heb. 6.5 6. Heb. 10.26 27 28. 2 Pet. 2.20 21 22. Ezek. 8. and other places Herein also they are much deceived and erre exceedingly not discerning things that differ nor knowing to distinguish between those gifts of the Spirit which are common to all men and those that are more speciall and peculiar onely to a few Which is one main cause of their erring so much in every thing And doubtlesse the cause of the same cause is hardnesse of heart and unbeliefe the contraries to the baptisme or birth of water and of the Spirit without which no man can have the faith of Abraham nor know the mysteries of the kingdome of heaven And was the case of him unto whom Christ spake and said Joh. 3. Art thou a Master of Israel and knowest not these things For although it bee true that men may be made partakers of those common gifts in the places mentioned and fall away from all as there it saith yet it followeth not neither is it true that any of those that are born of water and of the Spirit who have that faith in Christ whereby they eat his flesh and drink his blood that have their sins washt away therewith and their heart sanctified ever did or can fall away and perish And the reason is because they are kept not by their own wills but by the will and power of God and of Christ as Christ himself saith Joh. 6. And this is the Fathers wil which hath sent me that of all which he hath given me I should lese nothing but should raise it upagain at the last day v. 39.40 And again My sheep heare my voyce and I know them and they follow me and I give unto them eternall life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand My Father which gave them me is greater then all and no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand Joh. 10. They are kept by the will and power of God as Peter also saith of such faithfull ones Blessed be the God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead or an inheritance incorrupible and undefiled that fadeth not not away reserved in heaven for us who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation c. 1 Pet. 1.2 3 4 5. And John saith whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin for his seed remaineth in him and he cannot sin because he is born of God 1 Joh 3.9 Meaning not willingly in his minde for hee had said before If we say that we have no sin we deceive our selves and the truth is not in us 1 Joh. 1.8 He may through temptation be led captive to sin as Peter was but he never in his mind becomes a servant to sinne more hee therein serveth the Law of God and so it is no more he that sinneth but sin that dwelleth